Christmas was here and gone so quickly!

Brandon and I both are so anxious in anticipation of Christmas. We are sad when the time seems to come and go so quickly. We are now in discussion as to when our tree and decorations will come down... sadly... very soon.

Dec 24- We went to West Lafayette. We first stopped by Larry & Judy's to wish Judy a very Happy Birthday and to visit for a short while. Then a drive across town to my Mom & Dad's to have our Christmas celebration and gift exchange. This year's highlight was Brandon's scavenger hunt to find his cornhole boards in the garage. They just wouldn't fit under the tree! After presents it was time to prepare our Christmas Eve meal. Larry & Judy came for dinner which has been a tradition since Brandon and I started dating. We enjoy the time together so much and would hate to have Judy cook on her birthday! Then it was time for church and the ability to see friends that we most often see only once a year at Christmas Eve Services. Many come from out of town to spend the holiday with their family in West Lafayette. At the conclusion of the service we left church rather quickly. We helped to get the remainder of our dinner dishes cleaned and my parents made their final preparations for their early morning flight. Brandon and I changed into our jammies and hit the road for Newark. One more year to wake up at Aleesa & Kevin's with the kids. Next year will be different I'm sure with our own little one!

Dec 25- My parents were on their flight as scheduled at 6:50a.m. on their way to Houston to be with Eric & Keira, my Aunt & Uncle and my cousins. Brandon and I were up with the Blair crew at 7:15 which was later than last year. We had a great time opening our gifts and watching the kids' expressions as they opened the gifts they had been wanting all year. This year's highlight with the Blair family was Judy's oven mit money game! I could explain, but trust me, you just had to be there. What a riot! We had another great meal, took some left-overs and hit the road to Cleveland. The Cavs played Washington and I had a few obligations at The Q. What a game!

Dec 26- A day to relax! Brandon and I ran a few errands, had pizza with Dan, Jena & the kids, but also made time for a movie at the theatre! What a treat! We don't do it often, but try to make it a bit of a holiday tradition.

Whew... to look back at the past few days, it sure was busy and a lot of running around. However, to us, it's well worth it and would do it all again tomorrow if given the opportunity. We are blessed to be able to spend time with both of our families during the holidays. Next year we hope the Eric & Keira will have an opportunity to come home.

Beanie Update - 4 mo.

We are happy now to have the opportunity to update all of our Family & Friends through our Blog as to what is going on with our little Beanie! I have successfully gained 5 lbs in the first 4 mo. of pregnancy and am feeling wonderful! I am tired and am eating a lot, but both are to be expected. Brandon's original opinion was that Beanie was a little girl, but, as my appetite grows he is beginning to think it just might be a boy!

Our three Dr. appointments have gone great. The first, an ultrasound at 7 wks, allowed us to see OUR BABY, though extremely small, growing inside of my belly!

At the second appointment at 11wks we heard Beanie's heart beat for the first time... a healthy 164 bpm.

The third appointment at 15 wks we again heard Beanie's heart beat...160 bpm. Blood work was taken for our TriScreen, testing AFP, hCG and uE3 levels in the blood for Open Neural Tube Defects, Down Syndrome and Trisomy 18. Thankfully our results came back to us as Normal!

Our next appointment is an ultrasound scheduled for Jan 9. On this day, we will learn the sex of Beanie! We will then be anxious to move forward with bedroom preparations and ordering furniture.

Will definitely keep you posted....

FINALLY!

We have finally been able to share our exciting news with all of our family and friends. While many found out that WE ARE HAVING A BABY by reading our most recent poetic creation (below), we told others on the phone and in person during holiday functions. We couldn't be more thrilled and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our little one this Summer!

My life began like a bean, so small.
But one day I will grow to be big and tall.

A ballerina, a lawyer or a football star,
Or maybe, like Daddy, I'll drive a cop car.

What life has in store for me, it's hard to say.
I'll live life to the fullest each and every day.

When my nine months of growing in Mommy are through,
I will really look forward to meeting you!

HUGS & KISSES,
Beanie Blair

Due Date: 06.05.09

Crow Holiday Dinner

Today was the annual Crow Family Holiday Dinner at my Mom & Dad's. We were happy to have 30 Crow's together for Love, Laughter and a LOT of great food! Thanks to everyone for making the drive. It's always great to get everyone together. Maybe we'll do it again in July?

Since Thansgiving...

Here is our update for all that has gone on since Thanksgiving!

Dec 4- Happy 7th Birthday Maddie!

Dec 5- Larry, Judy & Brandon came to a Cavs Game. It was Anderson Vaerjao Wig Night! The guys are proudly wore their wig. Judy quickly volunteered to be the photographer for this one! Dec 6- Happy Birthday Austin!

Dec 7- I went back home to go to Mom's Community Choir Concert with Dad. It was also nice for Mom's college friend, Deb and her husband Terry to come to the concert! They had never been and I know their support meant a lot to Mom. Judy was also at the concert with Sheila. Deb & Terry, Thanks for making the trip!
Dec 8- Happy Birthday Dan!

Dec 12- Happy Birthday Audra!

Dec 13- Brandon and I had another meeting regarding our new house, or the one we will one day build. Still working on the plans to make them just as we want. We are really getting close which is really exciting!

Saturday night I went to Kate's for a sleepover with her and Amber. It was great to see them and to catch up a bit. It had been a while since we just hung out to watch a movie, eat great food and share some tasty beverages. Thanks, Kate for inviting us over!

Back to Arizona

Taylor lost Suzanne on Sunday. It's still hard to believe. Her remains will be returned to Taylor tomorrow and he will travel back to Arizona with them to prepare for a memorial service to take place later this week. Suzanne's 18 year old son Vince is doing as well as can be expected. Thanks to everyone for keeping them in your prayers.

Suzanne Update

The doctors have confirmed that Suzanne has a brain tumor on the interior of her brain and it is therefore inoperable. Her family is on their way to Columbus to see her. It will now be just a matter of time before the machines are disconnected.

Please keep my Cousin Taylor in your prayers. It was not at all his intent to come to Ohio with his wife and travel back to Arizona without her. This is the first time that our family has encountered such saddness during the holiday season.

Still Stuffed!

The turkey isn't stuffed any more, but we still are! We definitely ate our share of yummy foods yesterday to kick off another holiday season! We are so thankful for our families and all of our friends. Our lives would not be complete without the love we share with each of you. Thanks for being a part of our lives. We love you!

Special prayers for my Cousin Suzanne who was Life-Flighted to Grant yesterday morning. She awoke at 4am with a severe headache and passed out shortly after. After my Cousin Taylor quickly drove her Cambridge Hospital, they knew she needed advanced care in Columbus. We are awaiting updates today, but the outcome isn't promising at this point. She is currently on a venelator and we are praying that some form of surgery can provide hope. Taylor and Suzanne were home for Thanksgiving from Scottsdale, AZ.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

I gave in....

......Our Christmas tree is up! Looking ahead at our schedule, we decided that last weekend was our best opportunity to decorate our tree. We have promised though to not light the tree in the evenings until after Thanksgiving. Same goes for the candles in our windows... in, but not on until after Thursday! We don't do a lot of outside decorations, but our wreath, sled and spotlight will go out on Friday. We are so excited for the holidays!


Thursday we will go back to West Lafayette to consume too much Turkey and all of the goodies that make up a healthy Thanksgiving Feast!

How long has it been?

Wow! It's been a couple of weeks since we've provided you with an update! Let's see where we left off after our last posting on Oct 19......

Oct 24, With nothing planned for the weekend and one my last free weekends before the basketball season got under way, we decided to zip home! Friday night we spent with my mom and dad, had our favorite pizza and played board games!

Oct 25, Back to Newark! Grayson has been playing flag football and we decided it was a great weekend to catch one of his games. After the game, the guys took on painting the garage while the girls stayed inside, cooked and did crafts!

Oct 30, Another NBA Seson is under way! 6 Home Openers are now under my belt! Wow... Time flies!

Oct 31, Larry & Judy came to spend the day with Brandon! With a recall on their Accord, they came to town to get it fixed and to run some errands. After a full day of work for me, we had a wonderful dinner together!

Nov 1, Brandon and I had a couple of meetings re: the home that we will one day build. Maybe a year from now, maybe two, but it's not a process that we want to rush through so we are doing all that we can to take it one step at a time and think things through in detailed fashion. To take full advantage of the wonderful fall weather that continues to bless us, we were then off to Amish Country to shop around with my mom and dad. Mom and dad are looking for new furniture for their bedroom, I was looking for Christmas Stockings and of course you can't leave Amish Country without some good Amish cooking!

Nov 6, HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEVIN!

Nov 7, HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVE! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY DOUG & JESSICA!

Nov 8, A free Saturday that we had to take advantage of. An oil change for my car and the last of our Christmas shopping... Yes, we are done! Having less time this year between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Brandon is wanting to put our Christmas decorations up early! Should I mention that he was wanting to listen to Christmas music yesterday?! We both LOVE Christmas, but I still feel that Thanksgiving deserves it's time too, then we'll tackle Christmas. Saturday night was a night in Cleveland. A group of friends from my work got together at Paul's place to watch the Cavs play in Chicago. I don't often venture to Cleveland on a day off, but it was nice to spend time with everyone outside of the office.

Nov 9, Our weather is dreary. I can't lie when I say that our weather this weekend has me in the holiday spirit and I would love to wrap some gifts. If Brandon weren't working tonight, maybe we would, but I will wait for him as we enjoy wrapping together.

CONGRATULATIONS TO DANIELLE & MATT WHO WERE MARRIED THIS WEEKEND!!

(Whew! Guess I shouldn't wait so long to post next time...)

Anniversary Celebrations & Pumpkin Carving!

This weekend we went home to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary with our families. The fall weather was amazing and it was great to travel and experience the colors of the season. Saturday was spent at Aleesa's with the Blair Crew. Sunday we went to church in West Lafayette and spent the afternoon with my parents. It's always great to get yummy eats while we're home. Mom & Dad, thanks for the apple pie & homemade ice cream!

The kids wanted to carve their pumpkins on Saturday. We were happy that Grayson's friend Jed could join us! Judy and I helped the kids while Brandon, Kevin & Larry worked on projects with Kevin & Aleesa's home addition. The guys made sure their work was complete by the start of the Buckeyes' game. Great win! Go Bucks!

Meet Paxton Parker

I was excited to get this picture from Nicole today! Nicole and Sanjay had Paxton on Sept 1 and I was happy to meet him a couple of weeks ago.

Birthday Fun with Kyle & Travis!

I didn't get to do my Sunday update. Our computer was waiting for a new part! Now that we are up and running, I can share photos from our fun day on Saturday!

Saturday we went to Dan & Jena's to celebrate Travis and Kyle's 3rd Birthday! Kyle, Travis and Bryson had fun on the battery powered Jeeps. Alexis took a nap and later sat back to take in the action. Big kids and little kids both had a lot of fun in the inflatable castle (yes, that is Brandon... in the inflatable!).

THANKS!

Thank you to everyone who sent cards, text messages, emails and called for my Birthday! Thanks to Kate for taking me out to dinner. Thanks to everyone for making my day that much more special!!

It's Definitely Fall!

The leaves are turning into the beautiful colors of fall and the weather is cooling off!

FALL IS HERE!!

On Saturday, Brandon and I went to Byron and Shari Cadwell's to meet their newest family addition, MacKenzie! My mom and dad came to visit Saturday evening. We had dinner at Longhorn and came to our house after for birthday cake and the OSU game! Mom and dad left at halftime, I went to bed shortly after and B stayed up to witness the victory. My long days at work mean that I have to catch up on my sleep on the weekends. I am a year older now (almost) so I need my rest! :)

Today was uneventful. Church, lunch and B was off to work. Construction at our church is coming along nicely and it will be nice when it is complete.

Down home fun!

This weekend we went home to West Lafayette for some down home fun and a family dinner in celebration of Larry's birthday. Friday night we caught half of our high school football game. Saturday was a day of fishing, riding four-wheelers and picking pumpkins from the pumpkin patch! I LOVE the Fall and am excited to have pumpkins, squash and straw on the front porch! We spent time playing with Grayson and Bryn... they are so fun! Aleesa was taking the kids to the Cosh. Co. Fair today to see the animals and ride rides! I'm sure they had a good time!

Houston Wedding!

Despite the damage from Hurricane Ike, wedding plans for Adam and Deidre continued. Mom, Dad, Brandon and I left for Houston on Friday morning. Though Jim & Wendy still didn't have power at their home, we were able to have brunch with other out-of-town guests on Friday afternoon as planned. Then after an afternoon nap we were off to the rehearsal dinner. Texan BBQ style! Saturday was a great day. The weather was wonderful and the wedding was beautiful. Adam & Deidre are such a beautiful couple! Saturday was also mom's birthday. Now she shares her special day w/ Adam & Deidre! It was great to see Eric & Keira and to spend some time with them. It has been a long time since the six of us have been together!

Go Tribe!!!

Friday night we took our chances with the rain and made our way to Progressive Field. Mom and Larry both have September birthdays so we wanted to treat them to a Tribe game! Despite rain all day long, it cleared up for the game and we had a wonderful time! The Indians won and the fireworks after the game were great! We will look forward to doing this again next year!

Here Goes Nothing...

So many of our friends have family Blog pages to aid in the process of keeping in touch with friends and family around the globe. While our lives are not that eventful or exciting, we thought we would give this a try. So... Here Goes Nothing! We'll learn as we go and there are bound to be errors along the way. Bear with us and join us on our journey through Bloggerville, USA!